Recent posts

#71

Sports / Re: F1 and Indy Car (mostly F1...

Last post by Tank - September 01, 2024, 04:02:19 PM

McLaren are now only 8 points behind Red Bull with 8 races to go. So if things continue as they are it's likely McLaren will get the constructors championship. Lando took points out of Max and is still on target for a last race shoot out for the drivers championship. Nail biting stuff.

#72

Politics / Re: Kamala Harris

Last post by Tank - September 01, 2024, 01:44:41 PM

I haven't seen it. I'll look it up.

#73

Politics / Re: Kamala Harris

Last post by Tom62 - September 01, 2024, 12:26:03 PM

I watched Kamala's CNN "interview". I think that she performed rather badly. She looked very tired; didn't came across as a "leader"; didn't go into any details; generated a couple of word salads (as if her mouth worked faster than her brain) and didn't convince me that she was in any way authentic. What didn't help either was the place where the interview was taken. It was dark and rather gloomy. What also surprised me was that Tim Walz was at her side, as if she was not capable to handle the interview herself alone. I think that the interview was a strategic mistake and that she have to improve a lot on sincerity, trustworthiness and public appearances.

#74

Science / Re: Neanderthals in the News

Last post by Tank - September 01, 2024, 10:13:53 AM

Fascinating.

#75

Laid Back Lounge / Re: Petrol head thread!!!

Last post by billy rubin - September 01, 2024, 04:16:38 AM

no canyons here but plenty of tight twisties in and out of the hill.

used to be a big dead tree right at the apex of a downhill sweeper just before the turn into my road.

some harley guy took it out a few years ago by going into the corner hot without being willing or able? to lean. he didnt make it. it was a sizeable tree.

im always about to slow down coming out of that corner so i dont worry about whats left of the tree.

but i pay attention to marmots

#76

Laid Back Lounge / Re: Petrol head thread!!!

Last post by billy rubin - September 01, 2024, 04:16:19 AM

see below

#77

Science / Re: Neanderthals in the News

Last post by Recusant - September 01, 2024, 02:21:52 AM

Only tangentially about Neanderthals, mostly about human (including Neanderthal) genetics.

"Modern human DNA contains bits from all over the Neanderthal genome – except the Y chromosome. What happened?" | The Conversation

Neanderthals, the closest cousins of modern humans, lived in parts of Europe and Asia until their extinction some 30,000 years ago.

Genetic studies are revealing ever more about the links between modern humans and these long-gone relatives – most recently that a rush of interbreeding between our species occurred in a relatively short burst of time around 47,000 years ago. But one mystery still remains.

The Homo sapiens genome today contains a little bit of Neanderthal DNA. These genetic traces come from almost every part of the Neanderthal genome – except the Y sex chromosome, which is responsible for making males.

So what happened to the Neanderthal Y chromosome? It could have been lost by accident, or because of mating patterns or inferior function. However, the answer may lie in a century-old theory about the health of interspecies hybrids.

[. . .]

There are lots of little giveaways that mark a DNA sequence as coming from a Neanderthal or a H. sapiens. So we can look for bits of Neanderthal DNA sequence in the genomes of modern humans.

The genomes of all human lineages originating in Europe contain about 2% Neanderthal DNA sequences. Lineages from Asia and India contain even more, while lineages restricted to Africa have none. Some ancient Homo sapiens genomes contained even more – 6% or so – so it looks like the Neanderthal genes are gradually fading out.

Most of this Neanderthal DNA arrived in a 7,000-year period about 47,000 years ago, after modern humans came out of Africa into Europe, and before Neanderthals became extinct about 30,000 years ago. During this time there must have been many pairings between Neanderthals and humans.

At least half of the whole Neanderthal genome can be pieced together from fragments found in the genomes of different contemporary humans. We have our Neanderthal ancestors to thank for traits including red hair, arthritis and resistance to some diseases.

There is one glaring exception. No contemporary humans have been found to harbour any part of the Neanderthal Y chromosome.

[Continues . . .]

Some hypotheses to explain this are presented. In passing it is mentioned that we also inherited no mitochondrial DNA from Neanderthals. This is passed exclusively down the female line so it's of equal interest, in my opinion.

Another article on this topic:

"How Human Y Chromosomes Replaced Those of Neanderthals in a Quiet Genetic Takeover" | Smithsonian

#78

Laid Back Lounge / Re: Petrol head thread!!!

Last post by Dark Lightning - September 01, 2024, 01:25:03 AM

You need a flexible "cowcatcher" with wheels on the outer edges. You'll still be able to lean. I used to ride my motorcycle on canyon roads at stupid fast speeds. Yet another reminder of another way I could have died. 

#79

Laid Back Lounge / Re: Petrol head thread!!!

Last post by billy rubin - September 01, 2024, 01:02:49 AM

almost hit a marmot yesterday.



six or eight pounds, about like a pugdog.

big enough to cause issues

#80

Laid Back Lounge / Re: Petrol head thread!!!

Last post by Tank - August 31, 2024, 08:19:34 PM

Maybe hedgehogs and squirrels aren't so bad after all